Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton for president at a rally Tuesday morning in Portsmouth.

The Vermont senator stood side by side with Clinton.

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"I have come here to make it as clear as possible as to why I am endorsing Hillary Clinton," Sanders said.

He pledged that his "political revolution" would continue. But he acknowledged that Clinton, and not he, had won the delegates to snag the nomination.

That has been true for weeks, and Democrats have not-so-quietly been angling for him to drop out and endorse the former secretary of state.

"Secretary Clinton has won the Democratic nominating process," Sanders said.

Sanders promised to work to help Clinton win in November, calling her "far and away the best candidate" to confront challenges facing the country.

Clinton praised Sanders and thanked his millions of supporters.

"You will always have a seat at the table when I am in the White House," Clinton said.

Republican Donald Trump has been trying to draw Sanders supporters to his campaign.

Many of Sanders' supporters were disappointed to see his White House bid end.

"I fully expected he would not endorse and he was going to go on," supporter Gale Bailey said.

Although some Sanders supporters said they might never see totally eye to eye with Clinton's ideals, Maine's Democratic Party chairman, Phil Bartlett, said it's important that the announcement is made now.

"I think it sends a very clear signal that it is time for the party to come together and it's time to really focus on our common opponent, which is Donald Trump," Bartlett said. "So doing it now, before the Republican convention, gives us time to pave the way for a successful convention in Philadelphia."

Sanders defeated Clinton by a wide margin in New Hampshire and Maine.

Sanders superdelegate Troy Jackson said he will have to reach deep before he supports Clinton.

"Donald Trump does not support the people that I care about, and that's the difference," Jackson said.